Life, the Universe, & Running

Archive for the tag “Altra”

March is now upon us, and this is about the time that hints of spring begin to peek through the snow and cold. Well, instead, we’ve had more days above 50 than not, many in the 70s, and the snow has been nowhere to be seen. Climate change may be very real and I firmly believe in doing everything we can to slow things down, but I’m not complaining about the weather in Delaware 🙂 The busy hasn’t stopped, in my life, or around the world, in the last week or so, but that’s what keeps things interesting, right?

I’ve found my mind torn in a number of different directions as of late. Everything sparks my interest, and yet I don’t quite find enough time to do any one area justice. Perhaps part of #chasing42 is learning how to focus your energy more directly, and not get torn in as many different directions? #runningthoughts #ultramantra

Some things garnering my attention:

Shoes: I’ve been looking intently at the new Altra Escalante, and also trying to find a solid deal on the Topo Terraventure. The Escalante seems like a no-brainer, and I’ve read enough positive reviews of various Topos that I think it’s time to expand my shoe quiver!

Gear: My Salomon S-Lab 12 vest has been serving my well for a number of years, and I love the fit immensely. However, one of the zippers has completely broken, and the others are on their way out, so I’ve been thinking more intently about replacements. In addition to the S-Lab 12, I’ve been looking at several other vests, including:

Ulimtate Direction Fastpack 15 or Fastpack 20, PB Adventure Vest 3.0, AK Mountain Vest 3.0, or Jurek FKT Vest. I’m also coveting several of the new, larger packs- the Fastpack 25, and Fastpack 35, but I can’t honestly say that I have a use for them…yet!

Cotopaxi Veloz 3L or 6L vest– this is a totally new design for a running vest, and they are kickstarting the product. I’m tempted to give it a try as a lighter, shorter distance vest that would also work well for longer distances with ample aid stations.

If you have any experience with any of these items, or happen to have a discount code for me, I’m all ears!

Chasing42 Log: 20170220- 20170302

Run: My runs have continued to be consistent, even if it hasn’t necessarily gotten any easier to squeeze them in during the week at times. I’ve found myself venturing outside some mornings for quick runs sans-watch, in an attempt to focus my energy a bit more and wake up! I was in Boston this past weekend for a quick trip, and had the chance to get in a pretty phenomenal run, which you can read more about in an upcoming post. Thursday night hill workouts have been a nice challenge as well, and it’s been great getting out with others and pushing ourselves up and down the deceptively difficult hill near the Hagley Museum for some quality climbing!

Thought: Environmental concerns, protests, legislation, and research have been in the news quite a bit as of late. With numerous outdoor retailers making the decision to boycott Utah over the Governor’s stance on public lands, and the dismantling of environmental protections at the federal level, tension and fear is at an all-time high. People are downloading and archiving environmental research data due to fears that it will be scrubbed from the public record, and we continue to allow climate change deniers into positions of power within the very agency sworn to protect the environment.

In my professional life, I spend a lot of time thinking about intersectionality. In the context of my work, this is the notion that each of the various aspects of our identity intersect with each other to make us who we are and impact how we experience the world around us. None of us can solely be defined by one aspect of our identity (race, class, gender identity, sexuality, etc.), and efforts to combat oppression in any of these areas cannot be accomplished in isolation. We must acknowledge how various issues are interconnected, and acknowledge that sometimes good things are accomplished while simultaneously holding back other accomplishments. That’s why this piece in Outdoor Magazine was so powerful for me. If we can start having more difficult conversations like this about how all of our concerns are interconnected, and often not conveniently, then we can truly begin to realize the change we are looking for in the world. I highly encourage you to take a look, and think about where you fit into this puzzle. Keep #chasing42!

One of the most interesting things I’ve learned during my #chasing42runstreak is just how creative you can get with a simple mile. There are days when I would otherwise be resting, and I’m simply going out to get my mile in. Sometimes that means an easy run around the block, but sometimes that means seeing what I can explore in a short period of time. We’ve all been out on runs and looked to the left or right and wondered what was down that path, up that hill, down that hill, or through those trees. The joy of targeting a single mile is deciding that you can dedicate your run to answering those questions and see what the experience is like. Whether you are running a mile or 20, give yourself permission to answer those questions. Sure, it make change your pace and you may get your shoes a bit dirtier, but you’ll be stronger and happier for it!

Chasing42 Log: 20160208 & 20160209

Run: My run last night was all about that exploration. It was my first day back teaching and I was energized after a great couple of classes. I headed back to Winterthur to pick the epicurean up, and decided to go a bit early and do some of that exploring. I drive past a pretty substantial hill every time I pick her up, but I’d yet to truly “bond” with it. My current focus on vertical gain made trying it out the perfect solution for my needed mile. The hill was no joke, and I squeezed in more gain in a mile than I have in a long time. I’ll no doubt toss this hill into future workouts, or perhaps see how many repeats I can do before my legs fall off! My run this morning was much different, but quite pleasant as I stayed close to home amid the falling snow 🙂

Not bad for a mile!

Thought: I’m a huge fan of Altra shoes, and they have become my go-to shoes for a number of different scenarios. Their #zerolimits mantra resonated with me even more last night. So often, we find ourselves limited by the roads set before us and that often means missing out on a lot of the world around us. However, if we can start seeing new roads in every direction, and take the plunge, the opportunities before us are immense. There truly are #zerolimits when you are #chasing42!